Nothing
by CucumberSalad
Summary: "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, that signifies nothing." Set after 4x23. Pairings: whoever the characters choose.
1. Chapter 1

"_Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, that signifies nothing_." - Marilyn Manson [Born Villain]

* * *

"_He's here._"

"_Shh,_" a thousand voices whisper.

"_He'll hear you._"

Rectangular lights flicker, trembling in fear of the man walking below them. The shadows beyond the ones created by artificial light fall to their knees.

A black fog spills out from the darkness.

The whispers stop.

The warlock barely thinks before killing these creatures anymore. After almost a thousand years of dealing with Leeches, destroying them has become second nature to him; though, he must admit that in all of his years being on the Other Side he has never seen so many in one place.

Leeches aren't very picky creatures, however, when they sense an immense amount of power they run faster than normal and become hungrier than is generally expected. This fair-haired man is sure that whatever supernatural creature died had done so only five minutes ago. Yet, there were at least a thousand Leaches that came in that short amount of time.

So, what exactly bit the dust? It couldn't be a vampire or a werewolf and, to be honest, even claiming that it could be a witch seems too unrealistic. Witches and warlocks attract Leaches like no other supernatural creature but never like this.

Louis is almost anxious, something he hasn't felt for at least two-hundred years.

Whatever this creature is, there is no doubt in his mind that it is powerful, maybe even more so than he is. _Someone like Qetsiyah_, he thinks.

* * *

"She just wanted to get away...like a vacation," Jeremy says.

Damon eyes the boy while Elena nods in understanding.

Caroline frowns. "But she was supposed to go to college with us."

"She needs time...she wants to reconnect with nature. After all of that Expression..."

Elena continues to nod, almost as if she is a bobble head that keeps getting flicked. "Of any of us...she deserves it the most."

"Yeah, but..." Caroline sighs. "Why didn't she tell _us_?"

Damon looks at Jeremy, feigning curiosity. "Yeah, Baby Gilbert, why didn't she tell them?"

Jeremy ignores Damon's eyes. He knows that he is skeptical unlike the other two in the room who eat up his words like it's their last meal. "She barely talked to me about it," he says, quickly. "She just said that she needed a vacation and then left."

_And you didn't bother to ask why?_ Damon rolls his eyes and, due to his growing annoyance, leaves the room.

Elena glances over at him before returning her attention to her brother. "So if I called her..."

"She wouldn't answer," he finishes.

Caroline's frown deepens. "So you get a goodbye and we don't?" She crosses her arms and scoffs. "The guy who cheats on her gets a goodbye...her best friends get nothing."

"_Caroline_."

The blond looks at the doppelgänger. "_What?_ It's true."

Elena looks at her brother. "Ignore her. Just...if you hear from Bonnie again...can you tell her to call us?"

Jeremy nods.

She smiles and looks at Caroline. "Don't worry, we can still have fun with just the two of us."

Caroline rolls her eyes. "You mean _three, _unless you can actually pry yourself away from Damon's side. And, by the way, I don't plan on being in the same room as you two again...so, if you want to have best friend time, perfect. Just not when he is around."

"Caroline...can you not? Just for once," Elena begs, trying to retain her happiness.

Caroline sighs. "Sorry...I'm just...bitter over your choice."_  
_

"Yes, Caroline, _my_ choice." She walks over to her friend. "Can we just forget about that now?"

She sighs even louder this time. "_Fine_. Just as long as you devote the rest of your day to me. That_ includes_ a sleepover."

Elena's face shows hesitance only for a moment. She nods in agreement, wanting to please her friend. "I'm just gonna say bye to him first, okay?"

"Five minutes," Caroline warns before she heads for her car.

"Five minutes, I promise."

It is about fifteen minutes later that Elena goes outside to find Caroline and her car missing. She pulls her cellphone from her back pocket and sees a text from said friend.

_Thanks._

Elena sighs at the single word that was sent to her. She quickly texts back.

_Fifteen minutes, Care. You couldn't wait a little longer?_

Her phone vibrates after only a couple of seconds.

_No._

* * *

Flames fly at Louis' face. With the flick of his wrist, they evaporate into nothing. He looks at the five witches blocking his path.

"He can't have her," the eldest of them says.

At the snap of his fingers, flames engulf them all.

Ten hands raise into the air, each one bending and twisting in an effort to conjure more power. The fire surrounding them expands out until it explodes.

Louis' arms cross to make an 'X'. The flames fly past him, none of them touching his skin.

"Bennetts, I assume?"

It is the eldest that speaks again, chin held high. "We protect our own."

He smiles then, revealing yellow-tinted teeth. "She doesn't belong to you anymore."

Black smoke vibrates from Louis' body. Within seconds the smoke finds the Bennetts' lungs. They begin to choke, eyes widening.

Four are on their knees. The eldest, being the strongest of them, remains standing. Her eyes shine, a glint of fire dancing through them. Her family members' hands find her ankles and grip tightly. Their power pulses through her.

For a moment, the woman seems God-like, surrounded by smoke and flames. She begins mumbling a spell, the rest of the witches following suit.

Louis watches, half amused and half curious. "Let's see what you're made of," he whispers.

The room fills with white flames. Louis remains untouched, though, without a doubt, he can feel the heat, almost burning just by the proximity of it to his skin.

_Let us try something hotter,_ Louis thinks, smile widening.

The flames surrounding the witches change into a blue colour. The eldest witch is quick to respond, sending all the flames, both blue and white, at Louis. His forearms burn, the skin beginning to bubble. He takes a quick step forward, pushing the flames back at them.

The flames explode upon impact.

Louis looks at his injuries, placing a hand on each forearm. Ice leaves his fingertips and cover his burned skin. The pain disappears instantly.

His hands move to his sides and he walks forward, stepping over bones; behind them he sees the supernatural creature he came for: a witch, so it would seem. He studies her body, looking for any sign that she was hurt from the white fire her family created.

The only thing the fire took from her were her clothes. Her caramel-coloured skin remains untouched.

He takes her bare body in his arms and turns around to leave, once again stepping over her family's remains.

_Someone like Qetsiyah_, he thinks again, this time knowing that he couldn't be more correct.

* * *

Stefan has lost count of how many times he has died.

A hundred? Too little.

A thousand? Maybe.

He isn't sure what is worse: the hallucinations or not knowing if he will ever be found. A part of him can't even fathom the idea of dying over and over for eternity, hallucinating every waking minute; though, he is getting pretty close to understanding what it would feel like.

In this particular moment, he imagines Elena coming to save him: her opening the door and revealing her big, brown eyes. And him, coming out of his prison and hugging her, the love of his life.

Then he dies.

A couple of minutes later, he revives.

Once again, he sees someone saving him, though this time it is his brother. This one is more realistic compared to Elena coming to his rescue.

Damon's concerned eyes await Stefan when he opens the door. "Hey, brother," he says. He helps Stefan out of the metal container and pulls him onto land.

Stefan breathes in, the longest he ever has before. Air feels nice in his lungs. "Hey," he manages to say. He is almost tempted to ask how he found him but he is too focused on relishing in the fact that he is finally free.

Freedom.

Then he drowns.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: An hour and a half in the real world = 1 minute in the Other Side...1 day in real world = 16 minutes in Other Side.

**Warning**: It's a horror genre. Expect stuff you would see in a horror movie...a good horror movie...I REFUSE to write horror clichés...Unless it is Elena...walking into a dimly lit hallway...

**Songs**: Young and Beautiful [Instrumental] - Lana Del Rey (first scene), Amsterdam - Imagine Dragons (after third scene and so forth), Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson (everything after Jeremy...GAH! I REALLY RECOMMEND IT!)

"_Your body is dying. Pay no attention_." - Lestat [Interview With a Vampire]

* * *

"Elijah, I need your help. I-"

"Katerina...I am busy. Do not call again."

The sound of nothing greets Katherine on the other end. She looks up from her phone and swallows. Normally, his rejection would have made her slightly depressed. Yet, as a human she feels nothing so strong.

_Weak human emotions_, she thinks, _the only good thing about this_. She frowns then, remembering that nothing is good about being weak, even if pesky emotions aren't amplified.

A sigh escapes her lips. She holds the phone close to her heart. "Now, what am I supposed to do without your help, Elijah?" She scoffs at the thought of asking Damon or Stefan for help, let alone her doppelgänger. No one would help her now that she needed it.

She can't really blame them but, nevertheless, it is still annoying.

"Maybe Stefan..."

She begins to walk, filled now with hope and determination. Of any person she has ever met Stefan is the one with the kindest heart, a soul of forgiveness. He forgave Damon, why shouldn't he forgive her?

Perhaps it is her doppelgänger's ever hopeful nature rubbing off on her.

She takes a moment to revel in her hatred for the girl. Admittedly, the disappointment of being defeated by her is embarrassing. She feels a slight annoyance at the choice of not killing her the day she met her.

Being mad at herself will just make Katherine weak, she decides. This is why she chooses to just place all the rage she feels on the girl who did this to her. Because, in the end, it really is Elena's fault. It would always be her fault, the shadow Katherine could never rid herself of.

She growls at the thought.

"I'll kill her when I'm a vampire again," she promises herself.

* * *

Tanned hands twitch.

_Drip_.

_Drip_.

Jaw muscles clench.

_Drip._

"Say that again," Raulf says, lips curling up into an insidious smile.

The woman hesitates for only a moment before spitting at his face. "Fuck you," she says, slowly, making sure to enunciate every syllable.

He grabs a fistful of her blond strands and pulls abruptly to the left then upward, causing crimson drops to fling onto the floor and himself. "Once you break," he whispers, mouth pressing against her ear. "I'll make sure to sew those lips shut."

Brown eyes remain defiant. It, however, doesn't take long for definite signs of terror to surface above her façade when he starts to peel away bits of her skin.

The woman screams.

_Much better_.

His lips spread, allowing his teeth to bite into her fair flesh. He pulls; gnaws; pulls.

His fingers reach into his mouth just as soon shoving the bloody mess into hers. His free hand holds her jaw in place as she struggles to spit. Yet, his hand keeps moving, fingers sliding further into her mouth.

She gags.

"Raulf."

His head turns, allowing his dark eyes to study the man standing at the metal door. "Louis," he says, smiling. "Such a pleasure to see you." Abruptly, he releases the woman's face and stands. "About four months it has been since you have graced my presence..."

Louis' eyes move from Raulf's bloody hands to the sink. He looks back at the man, more surprised by the fact that there is a sink in this room than by the fact that he isn't using it.

"And the first you have ever entered this room, if I am correct that is?"

Out of the corner of his eyes Louis sees a bloody woman spit equally bloody flesh onto the concrete. He forces his attention to remain on Raulf. "I do not intend to come in again, I assure you."

Raulf's smile widens. "That is your loss, my friend." He looks back at the shaking woman. "Watching their souls break is quite fascinating." Slowly, his eyes move to focus on Louis. "A man must take pleasure in his duties...Do you agree?"

"Indeed." He takes a step forward. "However, that is not what I came to talk about."

"Oh? What would you like to discuss then, friend?"

"I need you to help me wake someone."

"Who might that be?"

"A friend of mine."

Raulf catches on to the lie as soon as Louis speaks it. "A friend?" He licks the blood from his stained lips, eyes shining with amusement. "You jest, surely."

"You are my friend, are you not?"

The dark-haired man smiles once again. His eyes betray no secondary agenda; though, the thing's existence would not be a surprising find for the man standing before him.

Louis continues when the silence becomes an obvious hint that Raulf isn't going to reply to his question. "I cannot wait for her to awaken of her own free will...Evios has need of her."

"Is that so?" Raulf's face still bares no sign of trust, yet he nods, regardless. "For Evios, anything," he says, repeating a phrase that is familiar to his tongue.

"Anything," Louis agrees.

* * *

"Caroline."

The blond's heavy eyelids open halfway. She pulls her dark-blue blanket over her face and rolls over, back facing the door.

"You're not five anymore, Caroline."

"Yeah, I am," she mumbles.

"Caroline."

"What?" she says, grumpy.

"There's someone waiting for you."

Caroline turns to see her mom's sly grin.

"I'm going to work now...You two have fun."

She frowns, confused.

A smile graces her face as soon as her mom walks away and her boyfriend steps forward. "Tyler..." She stares at him in disbelief, for a moment not believing that he is truly there.

"Hey, Care."

She runs to him and wraps her arms around his body. He laughs and hugs her back. He is about to speak before her mouth smashes against his in urgency. He responds instantly, hands going to his favourite part of her body: her hips.

The blond moans into the kiss. She pulls away and places a gentle hand on his cheek. "I've missed you so much."

He presses his forehead against hers, breath still heavy, though less animalistic. His lips touch the spot between her eyebrows. "I love you, too, Care."

She grins beneath the kiss he places on her pink lips and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Okay, reunion over."

With wide eyes, Caroline looks at Damon. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Who do you think brought him, Blondie?" He smirks, though the amusement doesn't quite reach his eyes. "We need to talk."

Slowly, Caroline's arms leave Tyler's neck. "About what?" she asks, annoyed.

"Baby Gilbert and Bonnie."

The blond frowns. "What?" She shakes her head. "Why?"

"Don't tell me you're _that_ stupid. Bonnie and vacations? Doesn't make sense."

"Well, she deserves one-"

He scoffs. "More than anyone else, I know. That doesn't mean the stubborn witch is going to take one."

Her frown deepens. "So, you're saying..."

"That Jeremy lied." He smiles. "And you, Blondie, are going to help me find out why."

"Wait, Bonnie's gone?" Tyler asks. "Why?"

Damon looks at him, eyes narrowing at the stupidity of his question. "That's what we're going to figure out, Mutt. Try to pay attention." He focuses on Caroline again.

"Since when did you give a shit about Bonnie?" Tyler asks, flabbergasted.

"You're wasting time. Focus." He glances at the two of them, the plans in his head coming to fruition.

"So, what do you plan on doing? Torturing the real answer out of him?" Caroline questions, suspicious of his intentions.

"Yeah, that would be my first choice but since he is Elena's brother and such," he says, a look of annoyance on his face. "I can't...However, maybe a little...persuasion..."

"Persuasion," Caroline repeats, unconvinced.

Damon nods, a dangerous smile finding its way onto his lips.

* * *

Katherine is annoyed to see Elena's face greet her when the door opens. "Where is Stefan?" she asks, wanting to get away from the girl as soon as possible.

"He's gone," she says, simply. She smiles, smug at seeing Katherine's expression. "How does it feel, Katherine? To be so powerless?"

The smile Katherine returns is far from sincere. "Don't get your hopes up...I don't plan on staying like this."

"Do you really think," Elena says, folding her arms together. "That anyone is gonna want to change Katherine Pierce back into a vampire? If I was you, I'd give up now."

"That's you. You're pathetic."

"I could kill you."

Katherine frowns, a bitter taste in her mouth. It is a disgusting thought to know that her doppelgänger could end her life with ease now. "The one thing we share in common, my dear doppelgänger, is our love for revenge. You would rather see me in misery than see me die so easily..." She glances around, having a feeling that Damon will pop out and snap her spine in half. She looks back at her doppelgänger. "What did you do to Stefan to make him leave for good?"

"He wouldn't have turned you back into a vampire, Katherine."

"That's not what I asked." She smiles again, this time genuine and filled with amusement. "Oh...you chose the wrong brother didn't you? Stefan is so much better, you know." She flicks her wrist, nonchalantly. "You'll see the error of your ways in a couple of years, trust me."

She shoves past Elena and walks into the house.

"I didn't say you could come in."

"I don't have to be invited, remember? Anyways, you're a vampire. You can't invite. It is _you_ that needs to be invited." She plops down on the couch and smiles. "And, now, my lovely Elena, you're going to be stuck with me. So...what shall we do first? Swap Salvatore stories?"

"Get out, Katherine."

"I was joking. I don't want to talk to you." She relaxes on the couch, lifting her feet onto the leather. "You can go if you want but I'm not leaving."

"I could _make_ you leave."

Katherine stands. "You'd risk having innocent little me roaming Mystic Falls?" She smiles. "Fine by me."

Elena stops her as she walks toward the door. "You're powerless, Katherine. There is nothing that you_ could_ do."

"Really? We'll see about that."

Elena watches her leave, feeling suddenly anxious. She repeats the words in her mind: _she's powerless_. Yet, a strong part of her is unconvinced. For a moment, she considers asking her to stay.

The stubborn part of her, the one that despises her, refuses to do so.

Still, that doesn't mean that she is above following her.

It's just a matter of stealth.

* * *

"So...what's it like living with him?"

"Damon?" Jeremy shrugs. "It's alright. I mean, he's already tried hooking me up so..."

Bonnie looks at him.

He laughs. "I'm kidding." He reaches for her hand, his smile becoming sweet in the way that has always melted Bonnie's heart.

"Jer, I..." Her eyes are fixed on his lips. She forces herself to meet his eyes. "I..."

Out of instinct he reaches for her face. Their skin makes contact only in sight, in the other sense, touch, they feel nothing. Nevertheless, her free hand covers his, trying its hardest to feel _something_.

"I miss you, Bonnie."

Her smile is small. "I miss you, too, Jer." After a few seconds, she pulls away and stands from the bed. She turns around and faces him, trying her best to force a smile. "I bet Grace will be happy that you're alive. You know, she's had a crush on you for a...long time." She swallows.

He stands and takes a step towards her, face becoming serious. "Bonnie-"

"Jer, I'm a ghost. You'll have to move on eventually and-"

He takes her face in his hands, silencing her with his lips; it is both the absence of feeling and the action itself that brings tears to her eyes. "Not just yet," he whispers. "I can't...let you go."

"Jer-"

"Bonnie. Just..." He smiles. "Don't ruin the moment."

She sighs and leans into him. He wraps his arms around her.

"I'm not ready..." she admits. "I thought I was but..."

"We'll get you back, Bonnie, I promise."

She pulls away, quickly. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

"No," he says with a frown. "But I should."

"Jer, please."

"No, Bonnie. They can help me get you back. We'll be able to touch...you'll breathe...you'll be able to-"

"Jer..." Her eyes widen as she pulls away from him, her hands pulsing. Nervously, she looks at him, begging for answers that he doesn't have.

"What's happening?" he almost yells, just as terrified as her.

A blood-curdling scream explodes from her mouth. Within seconds she is on her knees, a blue-grey colour filling the whites of her eyes.

The room shakes.

Jeremy bends down, reaching for her.

A light flashes.

She is gone.

Jeremy's eyes search the room, wildly, desperately. "Bonnie!"

* * *

The sun fades into the distance as Katherine Pierce walks into the Mystic Grill. Her hips sway seductively.

She stops at the entrance and looks around, trying to find a somewhat attractive human. After completely scanning the room her lips turn down in displeasure.

_Not even Matt is here_, she thinks. _He, at least, is cute_.

She growls.

Then she hears a laugh.

_That_ laugh.

Her eyes dart to the man she loved for almost two-hundred years.

_Stefan_.

How did she not notice him?

Before she knows it, she is at his side. "Hey," she says, resting a hand on his shoulder. She eyes the red-headed girl across from him with a look of distaste. "Sorry, can you excuse us? I need to talk to my boyfriend."

The girl frowns and looks at the brown-haired immortal. "But you said..." She looks back at Katherine. "I'm really sorry, Elena, I thought you two...he told me you broke up."

She feigns anger when she glances at her 'boyfriend'. She folds her arms. "Interesting...I didn't know that we did. If you wanted to end things, all you had to do was say so."

Sensing an impending argument, the girl leaves.

The immortal's look is one of intrigue as he studies the girl before him. "We didn't break up? That's...news to me."

"What can I say? I realized I made the wrong choice." She grabs his hand and pulls him up. "Let's go."

As they walk out of the Mystic Grill he continues to stare at her. "You're not Elena," he says once they are outside.

Katherine glances back at him, smiling. "You could always see through me, couldn't you, Stefan?"

Yet, his hand remains in hers. She looks at their entwined fingers, curious as to why he hasn't disposed of her like a fly yet. As soon as they are alone, no people nearby to hear them, Katherine speaks. "I need your help." She releases his hand. "You need to turn me back into a vampire."

He smiles. "Shall we talk somewhere else? Somewhere private, I think."

_Shall we?_ Katherine's eyebrows furrow. Yet, the possible innuendo in his words manages to distract her from the strange phrasing. Slowly, she nods.

* * *

Elena is in her car, sitting outside the hotel her ex-boyfriend and Katherine are about to walk in.

"What are you doing?" she whispers.

As if hearing her, the man glances back. He smiles at her ducking image, something she doesn't see. After a few seconds she sits up and they are gone.

She waits for a minute before going in after them. After peeking in through the door, she sees that they are already gone.

She heads for the small-faced, frail man at the front desk. His eyebrows furrow as he looks at her.

"I served...a girl that looked just like you," he says, confused as to what logic would make the most sense to him.

Elena speaks before he can think further. "What room did she go to?" she questions, pupils becoming small as she looks into the old man's faded-brown eyes.

With a dazed look, he says, "203."

* * *

The immortal shoves Katherine against a wall. Immediately, his lips are against her neck.

She gasps, surprised by his sudden actions. Yet, the human part of her, the one that craves becoming maternal, ignites. She reaches for his chin and pulls his face to hers.

Their lips meet in a burst of passion.

His fingers grip her thighs, the need within him becoming almost too much to bare.

He throws her on the bed and jumps on top of her, ripping the shirt from her body.

Katherine almost feels like asking him why he is doing this. Is she a rebound? A replacement for her doppelgänger?

Then he begins to nibble on the skin above her breast and she forgets everything.

* * *

"What do you want?" Bonnie asks, fists clenched, back against the wall.

"I thought this was your friend, Louis," Raulf says, a knowing smile on his face.

Blue eyes with a splash of green surrounding them are focused on Bonnie's bare figure. They are unmoving, watching. Louis is mesmerized by this goddess that stands before him, almost speechless. "I promise to never hurt you," he says, going to his knees. He takes her hand in his.

Cautiously, Bonnie looks at him, eyes wide with suspicion.

His lips press against her skin, lingering longer than would be considered normal. While still kissing her hand, he looks up into her eyes. "For Evios," he says. "I will protect you with my life."

_Evios?_

Her eyes narrow. "Let me go," she says.

Raulf laughs.

Bonnie looks at him, disturbed by the darkness of his eyes. She sees the blood stains covering his clothes and skin; the twitching of his fingers, as if they are restless; the strength of his jaw.

It is his words, however, that bother her more than his appearance ever could.

"You are not leaving. Can you not see it in his eyes?" Raulf's own eyes dance with laughter, as if amused by a joke that pleases him more to keep to himself.

Bonnie looks at Louis again, this time not mistaking the look on his face for anything other than what it truly is.

_A vampire about to bite into his next meal_.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I will leave you readers with a question. Answer it or not, it's your choice ;)

Is being devoured alive the worst way to die? If not, then what is? Why is that idea so terrifying?


	3. Chapter 3

**Songs**: Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance, Take It Off - Kesha (for last scene...after Stefan scene)

"_Love is not all romance. Love is mystery, love is misery. Love is a big piece of dark chocolate, bitter sweet and forbidden_." - Unknown

* * *

"Leave me _alone_," Bonnie growls.

"I want to help you," Louis assures, reaching for her.

She steps to the side and eyes his hovering hand. He stares at the space where she once was, almost as frozen as a statue.

Bonnie clears her throat. "If you want to help me then get me clothes..."

Slowly, his eyes focus on her, hand remaining where it is. Suddenly, as if a happy switch flicks off in his brain, he smiles and removes the white t-shirt from his body. "Here." He hands it to her then heads towards the door.

After about five seconds, he turns to her and offers his hand. "Come," he commands.

"I don't think so. Not until you tell me what you want with me." She glances at Raulf and pulls the shirt closer to her body, eyebrows furrowing at the look in his eyes.

"But I did tell you...I told you everything."

She scoffs, returning her focus to him. "You told me nothing."

"I told you that I would protect you." He frowns. "Is that not good enough?"

"I'm supposed to trust you? Now, why would I do that?"

"Why would you not?"

His genuine confusion aggravates her. "I don't know. Maybe because you kidnapped me? Maybe because I have no idea where I am?"

"I did not kidnap you."

She almost snorts. "Then what do you call this?"

"I do not have the time to explain such things. I need you-"

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

He takes a step towards her only to be thrown out of the room.

Bonnie is slammed against bricks before she can even blink, shirt flying to the floor. Raulf presses the palm of his hand against her skin, directly between her breasts.

Her eyes widen as an intense heat fills her chest, almost as if she is going to burn from the inside out.

Her body begins to pulse, black veins appearing around Raulf's hand.

The door slams shut. The dark-haired warlock leans closer to the witch's face and licks his lips. "I tasted you before," he whispers. "Do you remember?"

_Bang!_

"Open the door!"

"Do you remember, Bonnie?" he repeats. His lips hover close to hers, so much so that she can almost taste his hot, metallic-flavoured breath on her tongue. "If it wasn't for_ them_...I would have had you." He releases her. "I was so close," he says, more to himself than anyone else.

She falls to the concrete as he takes a step back. He stares down at her, two lines of blood falling from his nose.

His tongue is quick to take the crimson into his mouth.

The door bursts open, almost flying off its hinges as Louis runs to Bonnie's side. He takes her in his arms as she continues to pulse. Glaring, he looks up at Raulf. "What did you _do_?"

"You should recognize that mark, should you not?" He smiles.

Louis studies the black veins that swirl around Bonnie's chest; the familiarity makes him that much angrier.

"Reverse this," he demands.

Raulf licks his lips clean from red. "She pays the price for power...as we all must."

* * *

There was once a time when Damon thought Bonnie was unbreakable, immortal in the sense of her power. She was strong, more than any witch he'd ever met before.

A part of him knew that Jeremy's excuse for Bonnie suddenly leaving was bullshit. "_She just wanted to get away_," he had said. Sure, out of everyone in Mystic Falls, the witch deserved a vacation the most. However, she wasn't the type to do that. Bonnie just didn't leave and stop calling. She had become too mature for that, too selfless.

So when Jeremy had called a meeting, so to say, Damon was quite sure he was about to hear some more bullshit. He was beginning to create a plan with Caroline - Tyler was there but mostly silent out of confusion - when the young Gilbert called him and said that he needed help.

Now, Damon stands here listening to a crying Gilbert, displeased with the sight, yet all focus on him, regardless. What he says is aggravating, to say the least.

"She just disappeared?" he asks, eyes revealing his cynicism.

Jeremy looks at him, angry. "We need to find her."

Damon takes a sip from his bloody glass. "_We_?" He smiles sarcastically, eyes narrowing. "No. You, Baby Gilbert, are gonna stay here...mourn...whatever it is that you're going to do. But what you're not going to do is come with me and Caroline to fix your mistake."

Elena glances at him.

"And Elena," he adds, smiling. "Maybe Tyler...but...probably not."

Tyler frowns. "I'm coming."

"I'm coming, too. I can talk to ghosts...I'm the only one-"

"We'll call you if we need you." He sets the glass down.

"I'm _coming_," he says, determined.

Damon speeds over to the boy, grabbing him by the dark fabric of his shirt. "You are_ useless_."

"Damon," Elena says.

"You will do nothing for us by being there," he continues. "You'll just get yourself killed."

"_Damon_."

Slowly, Damon releases Jeremy's shirt, forcing a smile. He turns to Elena. "Yes?"

She swallows, changing her mind about the importance of what she wanted to say. "Nothing, I just...We could use him. If she is on the Other Side...he could contact us with someone there and-"

"We could ask if they know where Bonnie is," Caroline finishes.

Damon frowns. "Oh? That's how easy it's going to be? Just like that." He snaps his fingers. "We're going to find her."

"It's worth trying."

He looks at Elena, annoyed with the hope in her eyes.

Her big, brown eyes.

He sighs in defeat. "Fine..." He points at Jeremy. "But if _that_ doesn't work..." _And it won't. _"Then we're going with _my_ plan."

* * *

Slowly, carefully, Louis slides his shirt over Bonnie's head.

"I'm sorry," he says as he pulls her arms through the sleeves. "I did not intend for you to suffer my fate...You were supposed to..." He sighs, pulling her into his arms and rising to his feet. It is difficult for him to find the right words to say to her even though he knows she can't hear him.

But even he is at a loss for words.

He has become obsessed with this limp witch in his arms in just a matter of minutes, obsessed with the need to keep her safe. He recognizes the feeling as something he had for Evios when they were alive; even still, he feels the need just as strong as the day they were murdered.

He had to protect _The Son._

He swallows and looks away from the witch's face.

The memory of his failure is too raw for him to think of, even a thousand years later.

In his own way he has remained a protector of Evios even though the warlock doesn't need it any longer. Raulf is to thank for such a thing, of course. And now he is to thank for this mess he has made for both Evios and himself, even.

_Perhaps Evios can reverse it?_

His legs begin to move.

_Yes, he can fix this._

_He_ must_ fix this._

* * *

Raulf's bare feet press against cold concrete.

"Please, kill me," a man-like creature behind bars begs. "Take the pain away..."

His feet stop. Slowly, his head turns to the right.

The creature licks its cracked pale lips with an equally paper-dry tongue, a technique that the still human part of it would never forget. Its fingers wrap around one of the many dark needles protruding from its vein-less skin. It moans as its hand pulls at the sliver-like object.

Raulf watches, smiling at the handiwork of one of his more excruciating spells.

"_Please_," the creature repeats, shaking in pain.

"No."

He resumes walking.

"Nye! Nye!"

He focuses on another one of his creatures.

Its short arms stab through the bars, trying to get at whatever is behind it. It breathes deeply through two holes where its nose once was. "Nye! Here...come me...come! Nye!"

Raulf studies its empty eye sockets, trying to recall the name of the spell he used for this one.

It annoys him when no answer comes to mind.

"Come...me! Me!"

Raulf grabs one of its dark arms with a single hand. The spell comes to him instantly_._

"_Minmelo_."

The dark creature shrinks back in fear of the word.

"You are hungry, _Minmelo_?"

Hesitantly, the creature nods.

"Then eat yourself."

Raulf walks away as the creature begins to do what was commanded of him.

"You are all fowl beasts, here for my pleasure...awaiting your end...but you shall never get it," he promises. "You will suffer for as long as I wish it." He smiles. "And I wish for it to be an eternity."

* * *

"You missed me, didn't you?" a brown-haired immortal questions.

Katherine lets her head snuggle closer to his chest. "I was just horny," she says.

"Oh?" He tilts her chin upward and looks into her eyes. "Are you sure?" Gently, slowly, his lips press against hers. She inhales loudly through her nose, heartbeat accelerating.

When he pulls away her eyes remain closed. He smiles, victorious.

"Just horny," she insists, fingers sliding down his arm.

"You love me," he says, convinced.

She looks up at him. "I _loved_ you..once."

"You still do." He caresses her hip. "You love me." He kisses her again, this time more passionately. Quickly, he rolls on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed. He looks down at her. "You did not love Elijah." He leaves a trail of kisses down her neck, stopping just above her breast.

"I did love him," she corrects.

"But you stopped..."

His hands release her, moving instead to the sides of her face. Straddling her, he leans in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I never stopped loving you, Katherine."

Her heart skips a beat.

"I've always loved you...Elena was just a replacement..." Their eyes lock on one another. "And deep down...you always knew that...didn't you?"

She swallows, still stubborn. "Fool me once, shame on me-"

He silences her with another kiss. She leans forward, attempting to deepen the passion.

Ever the tease, he pulls away from her. "If you want me just say so...I will be yours...I will love you for the rest of my life...as I have for almost two-hundred years. Katherine," he says, face becoming serious. "All I need to hear...is that you feel the same...that all I have felt..."

For a moment, she feels as if he is truly being sincere.

"If you want to be with me forever..." Her fingers dance across his abs, eyes becoming seductive. "Then turn me."

"So you can run back to Elijah?" He moves to the edge of the bed, rubbing his forehead. "I can't risk that, Katherine." He glances back at her. "I love you too much."

She frowns. "Stefan, you..."

The immortal shakes his head and stands.

Katherine watches him in silence as he gets dressed, frozen by the strangeness of all of this. After fully dressed he walks to her and plants a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Katherine...I will always love you...but..." He looks into her big, brown eyes. "You must love me back before I can turn you. I have to know that I am the one you want to spend eternity with."

Then he is gone.

And Katherine is still speechless.

* * *

Stefan feels little feet crawling on the skin beneath his clothing. He flops around like a fish, trying to remove them.

His heart beats fast, hard. Panic is beginning to set in but he knows he can't open his mouth or water will fill it, or maybe bugs.

They crawl up, higher and higher, almost to his chin.

He slaps at his neck, trying to prevent them from reaching his face.

It doesn't work.

When he opens his eyes he sees something black crawl onto his cornea. It begins to dig into his eyes, scratching and biting, pulling white into its mouth.

He screams bubbles.

* * *

Lights flash: red, yellow, blue, then multiple shades of purple.

_I don't give a_

_I don't give a_

_I don't give a..._

Theron's right hand glows red, lines of the colour emanating from his skin.

_There's a place down town where the freaks will come around_

_It's a hole in the wall_

_It's a dirty free for all_

The red of his hand glows brighter, a sign that his prey is close. His eyes narrow as he scans the room. He inhales loudly, brown eyes becoming black.

_And they..._

_Turn me on_

_When they..._

_Take it off_

_When they..._

_Take it off_

_Everybody take it off_

He turns abruptly to the left and sees a woman walking through a door that says 'Ladies'. His face remains blank as he walks towards where she was.

_There's a place I know if you're looking for a show_

_Where they go hardcore_

_And there's glitter on the floor..._

He hears laughter coming from a stall in the bathroom. He flashes his gun to the other women in the room. They raise their hands in surrender before he shoots them.

_And they..._

_Turn me on_

_When they..._

_Take it off_

A sixty-year-old man steps out from the once noisy stall with the red-haired woman he saw earlier. Again, he inhales, hand glowing at its brightest.

_When they..._

_Take it off_

He shoots her without hesitation. With the man he takes his time, slowly raising the gun to aim at his face. The man backs against the wall.

_Everybody take it off._

"Where is he?"

"I don't know! Theron, I swear, I-"

The dark-haired man smiles, brushing strands away from his cheek with his free, pale hand. "You are lying, Greg. Now, tell me the truth this time."

"I don't know! You found me! You can find him, can't you?" he yells. "Why do you-"

"I cannot smell him," he growls.

The man falls to his knees. "I swear, I don't know where he is. Please..." His eyes fill with tears. "After everything I've done for you...Have mercy!"

"You did not answer my question." His finger tightens around the trigger. "One last chance."

He swallows, the wrinkles on his neck being stabbed at by his Adam's apple. "Mystic Falls," he whispers.

"It is such a shame to see you go."

The man's eyes widen just before his brains splatter against the wall behind him.

Theron lowers his gun to his side. _Mystic Falls? So it shall be._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Your response to the question last chapter was interesting, Mrs. Anitra :) I'd probably want the same thing :P

I hope you all enjoyed! I'm starting to up the horror, though it isn't maximum horror...yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Songs**: Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson (1st half of chapter), Ghostflowers [music video version] - Otep (2nd half)

"_It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up you better start running_." - I have no idea

* * *

"Please...I can't..."

Teeth the colour of buttery popcorn hit a dim light, shining visibly. Full, pink lips thin, upper lip almost completely disappearing. "You can't what?" the man questions, light fingers digging into skin that resembles milk chocolate.

The woman begins to moan as crimson stains her legs. "I want...you," she whispers, hungrily. She grabs at his light-brown strands and pulls tightly.

His jaw clenches, breath hitches. He squeezes her leg with more force and brings his lips to her neck, beginning to suck.

Her grasp on his hair tightens.

A deep growl rises from his chest and into his throat, escaping through his now wide mouth. His upper lip twitches, hand reaching for her neck. In seconds it is in his hand and he is squeezing with such a force that her dark eyes begin to widen. Slowly, purposefully, his nose meets hers, chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

"I love you," he says through a moan.

Just as soon, his face is in her hands and she is kissing him. He responds quickly, lifting her onto the dining table and stepping into the space between her legs. Her nails dig into his cheeks. Another moan escapes his mouth, this one deeper, animalistic. He slams her back to the dark wood and climbs on top of her, straddling her restless body.

Louis clears his throat.

Evios' head turns, eyes filled with fury. At seeing who it is a smile graces his lips, mischievous in nature. He glances down at the caramel-coloured body in his old friend's arms, smile widening. "You brought me a present?" He steps onto the concrete and walks towards Louis, careless about his unbuttoned pants. The blond man's hesitance brings a frown onto Evios' face. "Why is it you interrupt if not to bring me a gift?"

Louis adjusts his hold on the witch before responding. "I will come back if you wish it."

"I do not." He looks at his lover and motions for her to leave with the nod of his head.

Her dark feet touch the cold concrete. She smiles as she looks at Louis, barely glancing at the limp body in his arms as she walks past him, long, thick legs as graceful as ever.

Evios notices Louis' eyes. "You can have her for tonight if it pleases you," he says, knowing that his friend will refuse. Yet, it is a habit he can't rid himself of - the constant offers he gives to this man.

"It does not please me." He sets the witch on the table and pulls her shirt lower, revealing cleavage and the dark veins that stain her skin. "Can you reverse this?"

"As well as I could reverse yours." His light fingers dance across her bare skin, a shock like that of static-electricity being sent through him wherever their skin meets. "I would like to explore her further..." he mumbles, eyes shining with a lust that has gone unsatisfied due to Louis' interruption.

"No."

Evios' dark eyes meet Louis' blue-green ones. "You dare deny me?"

"She will not be yours."

"If I wanted her you would have no choice."

Louis' eyes darken, more so than Evios' natural colour. "She will not be yours," he repeats.

Evios' face contorts in recognition of this tone that he has not heard for over a thousand years. He looks back down at the girl, this time studying her face extensively. Carefully, his skin presses against hers once more, this time in the form of his palm against the darkest spot of her chest. A sudden wave of euphoria shoots into his veins. He inhales sharply and looks back up at Louis.

"Leave us," he commands.

Louis' body twitches as he tries to fight the pull to leave the room. He opens his mouth to refuse yet no words come out. Before he can even think twice, he is leaving. _It is okay_, a voice in his head reasons, _he commanded it. _A smaller, much quieter voice is overpowered by the loudness of the other so much that Louis can barely catch what it is saying. _You must protect her_. Maybe? Is that what it is saying? His eyebrows furrow in confusion.

_No, you must protect him_, the louder voice says.

Evios barely notices Louis leave, giving it not even a thought. His entire focus is on this creature before him. Slowly, he removes the only thing separating his eyes from being able to take in her figure - something he does, gladly, when allowed the opportunity. His hands roam her bare skin, examining the extent of the black veins coming from the middle of her chest.

_The damage is worse than Louis'_, he concludes after a few seconds.

"Why would he do that?" he whispers, referring to Raulf. He looks at the witch's face. "You are special." _But why to the extent that he found the need to lock the power away?_

Suddenly, he presses hard against the center of her chest. A green light appears and disappears within just a second. Her eyelids raise. He watches her face, calm as it is, staring mostly into the green of her eyes.

Slowly, she focusses on him.

"What is your name?" he questions.

She remains silent, almost in a daze.

His hand smacks against her chest again. Her eyes widen. With the speed of a frightened man she sits up and puts the table between her and this strange person. "Who_ are _you?"

"Evios," he replies, smoothly.

"Why am I _here_? What do you _want_?"

He smiles, confident due to having a thousand years of charming women into submission under his belt. "You are here because Louis brought you..." He stretches his arms outward, elbows bent and hands facing the ceiling. "And I want nothing...except to figure out who you are."

"Why should I tell _you_ anything?" She swallows, bringing her hand to her chest. Quickly, she looks down at her bare body and then back up at the man. _Fuck._ Her eyebrows furrow. "What did you_ do_ to me?" Before he can answer she continues, "I don't know who you are, I don't know where I am..."

He steps away from the table and folds his hands together. "You are on the Other Side. And that mark on your chest is from a different man...If I could rid you of it, I would..." He pauses, smile becoming gentle. "And you need not tell me anything. I will not force you to do something that you wish not to do. That, I promise you."

Again, she swallows.

"Let us get you clothes, shall we?"

* * *

_What have you done?_ Quick feet pace around the room, heavy like a child having a tantrum.

"Open the door..." Kol says through a clenched jaw, staring down at the floor. His fists shake to the point that one would wonder if his knuckles would explode from his skin. "I know this is your doing, witch. Now, open the door!"

_Bang_!

_Bang_!

"_Open the door_!" he demands, fists slamming against the hard metal.

"Be quiet now," Raulf says.

Kol takes a step away from the door, eyes narrowing as it begins to move. His body tenses.

As soon as the stranger takes a step into the room he is in Kol's grasp. The Original raises him up, veins darkening around his eyes. "Let's cut the pleasantries, shall we?" He throws him against a wall with all of his strength.

With the speed of a vampire his age he runs for the exit, rebounding and falling to the ground just as quick. Growling, he faces the man who, somehow, has managed to climb to his feet.

"You should not be so rough, vampire, it will only make your pain worse."

Kol's frown deepens. "You will be the one who suffers," he threatens.

The door slams shut.

"We shall see about that."

Kol refuses to take his eyes off this man. If there is anything that he has learned in the past few days it is that he must not underestimate anyone, even the ones weaker than himself; though, such a fact bothers him more than anything else he knows.

"Now..." Raulf smiles. "Are you going to play nice or am I going to have to teach you a lesson?"

The Original's head tilts to the side, feigning consideration of the man's offer. Then he quickly shakes his head. "I don't enjoy games..." He shrugs. "The last one I played got me killed...so you can see, I'm a little skeptical of their outcomes." He shakes his hand at the man. "And I never enjoyed lessons...they were always so formal." He smiles, mockingly.

Raulf's fingers spread straight out, the palm of his hand moving to face Kol. Quickly, his fingers bend into a fist.

Kol falls to his knees, grabbing at his head, trying anything to stop the pressure. His mouth widens as if preparing to scream; that is one thing, however, that he will not allow. He will _not_ be the one who screams this time. One foot touches the concrete as he wills himself to stand.

Raulf opens his fist and pushes towards Kol's direction. The vampire flies into the air, back hitting the door with a loud_ bang_.

"You should not have stayed on the other side of the Veil for so long. My Leeches almost devoured your soul," he says, smiling. His tongue lubricates his lips, leaving a shiny finish. "Better for me, I suppose; though, I must admit that I would have enjoyed draining you myself."

Slowly, Kol stammers to his feet, wiping blood from his nose with the back of his hand. "What exactly do you plan to do?" he questions, eyes narrowed.

Raulf's smile widens. "I want to see you suffer," he says, simply.

* * *

Bonnie watches Evios carefully as he searches through the drawers of a dark armoire. "If you aren't the one who did this to me," she says, fingering the protruding veins from her chest. "Then who did?"

"Louis never remembered either," he mumbles, pulling a black tank top from the drawer. "But it didn't take him long to figure it out." He sets the shirt down to his left, just above a white t-shirt, and begins to search through another drawer.

Bonnie's eyebrows furrow as she tries to decipher his meaning.

"Raulf did the same thing as he did to you to Louis," he says, answering her unspoken question.

_Louis. _She frowns as she mentally matches the face to the name.

"I suggest you make friends with him, my love. He would defend you until his death, I assure you."

Bonnie scoffs. "Like you would, I'm sure."

Evios laughs as he turns to face her, a pair of shorts and a tank top in hand. "I would not," he confesses. "I find life very precious." He lays the clothes in her arms.

"And yet here you are, dead like me," she mumbles.

His eyes widen with surprise. Another laugh escapes him, this one louder than the last. "Yes, you are correct about that." He sits on his bed, watching her as she moves the clothes in her hands.

"Do you _mind_?" she says, annoyed with his presence.

"Mind what, my love?"

"I don't want to change with you in front of me."

"But I have already seen you naked from the front and the back. It would make no difference."

Her jaw clenches. Sure, he is right. Still, even the thought of changing in front of a stranger is enough to bother her. To save her pride she steps away from him, trying to get as far away as possible. She slides her legs into the shorts, all the while keeping her guard up and watching the man who watches her. Once she is done she folds her arms across her chest. "I'm not staying," she says, defiantly.

"I would not stop you," he says, tone betraying no hint of dishonesty.

Her eyes narrow in suspicion.

"I think, however," he continues. "That you would be much safer with me than with the man who hurt you." He smiles. "But that is your decision to make."

_Is that a threat?_ His smile unnerves her, making whatever honest thing he says sound sketchy at best. "I'll take my chances," she says.

His hand motions her towards the door. "I'll see you later...a couple of minutes from now, perhaps."

_No_, she thinks as she walks out the door, _I'm leaving and I'm going to find Grams and-_

It isn't very long before she literally runs into Louis, who's face loses all of its concern as he stares into her eyes. "He did not touch you, did he?" he questions, looking her up and down. His lips tighten in displeasure at the sight of Evios' clothes on her body; it is enough of a hint as to what most likely happened between them.

She frowns in response and tries to push past him. He walks beside her as she tries to get away.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you."

"But I cannot protect you if-"

"I don't _need_ your help."

"You are powerful," he admits. "But right now you are weaker than me. Your powers are locked away. If you were to step outside...the Leeches..." He frowns at the thought. "You cannot leave."

Her eyes stay forward, determination set. The only thing that bothers her is what he said about her powers being 'locked away'. For the past couple of minutes she has felt nothing, no magic flowing through her veins. She can't _feel_ anything. On a normal day, she would be able to almost taste her own magic on her tongue but, now, she tastes nothing.

There is no_ taste_.

It disturbs her more than anything else ever could.

"You cannot leave," Louis repeats, grabbing her arm.

She glares up at him, still defiant. "If you really want what's best for me then you will let me go."

"You would not be safe," he assures her.

"I have people that will help me...family that would-"

Louis shakes his head. "Your family cannot help you now."

Her arm goes limp in his hand. "What did you just say?" she asks, eyes narrowing.

He swallows, knowing that the news will upset her. "They were only going to cause you harm...I had to _protect_ you."

"Oh my God." She pulls her arm from his grasp. "You..." She shakes her head in disbelief. "No...you couldn't have...you-"

"I had to," he repeats. "I have to protect Evios...I have to protect _you_."

"You killed my Grams," she yells, fist slamming into his cheek.

Louis stumbles.

Bonnie runs.

* * *

A tall, pale woman goes to her knees, bowing before the Goddess in front of her.

"Lia, she is not with you, why?" a woman resembling Cleopatra questions, looking down at the fiery coloured top of this woman's head.

Glowing, red eyes meet calm, dark ones. "She was gone before we got there."

The dark-skinned woman folds one slim leg under another, making herself comfortable in a chair made of stone. "Evios has taken her then?" she says, lips spreading in amusement.

"I do not know, my Goddess. But I promise to bring her back to you."

The woman frowns, somehow still looking beautiful. "If it were so easy then I would have destroyed him long ago." Her long, elegant fingers tap against stone as she looks down at Lia. "All we can do now is wait."

"But what about..." She swallows, hand fingering her collarbone. "_The Creator_?" What if he-"

"My blood does not fear _The Creator_," she says, voice filled with venom. "My blood killed him once. It will kill him again."

"But Qetsiyah-"

The ancient witch's eyes widen in rage. "I am your_ Goddess_. You will address me as such, you_ filthy_ child," she says, rising to her feet.

Lia's eyes widen as her throat tightens. She opens her mouth to breathe but no air enters. Within twenty seconds she is shaking, fiery eyes filling with liquid.

Six pairs of eyes watch, betraying no emotion as they stare, unflinchingly. Their right hands hold the hilt of their swords tightly, prepared for any conflict against their Goddess.

Qetsiyah blinks.

Lia inhales loudly, hand pressed against her heart as she gasps for more air.

The ancient witch steps past Lia with no acknowledgement of her presence, gliding gracefully across the golden floor with her brown, knee-length gladiator sandals. Her guards follow; only one glances back at the gasping woman.

Red eyes meet blue ones.

The long-haired man looks away, face like stone: emotionless and cold.

Lia still trembles, trying to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, my Goddess, it will not happen again," she promises to Qetsiyah's retreating figure. The witch doesn't even flinch as the words reach her ears, nor does she acknowledge that they are spoken; she only continues to walk without delay. The sight of this bothers Lia, hurts her more than anything else ever could.

She has failed her master, her _Goddess_. This woman is the reason that she is even alive after death. She owes _everything_ to her.

Lia stands, now filled with determination. _I will bring her to you, _she thinks, watching Qetsiyah's back as she disappears behind six men. _I swear it on my life._

* * *

Hot, red lines pour from Kol's shoulder. "I am going to kill you," he threatens, tone vicious and unforgiving.

"Try," Raulf responds, smiling. His blade slices through skin, over and over. He waits for it to heal before he cuts again, slicing until he reaches bone.

His fingers stab into the wound then separate, allowing him to see a rib. Quickly, without second thought, he takes one rib into his hand and begins to pull.

Kol's jaw clenches. He will not scream. He will not scream.

He will _not_ scream.

A pained growl escapes him when the broken, jagged bone stabs through his throat, stopping only at his spine.

Raulf's eyes shine in the light as he watches blood pour from the vampire standing before him. With the flick of his finger the same vampire falls to his knees, wrapping his hands around his throat to try to stop the bleeding.

It doesn't help.

Kol falls to his hands, blood beginning to pour from his mouth. He spits in an attempt to clear his mouth of the liquid.

_Nothing_ helps.

The wound takes seventeen seconds to heal, ten seconds longer than he is used to. Filled with rage, his chest rises and falls. He closes his eyes, trying to regain composure. He has to be rational if he wants to escape; though, truthfully, keeping rationality above his anger is almost impossible at this point. "I am not going to die again," he whispers.

Raulf's head tilts to the side, blade gleaming in the light, dripping fresh crimson. "What was that, vampire?"

Slowly, Kol looks up at the warlock, face calm and composed. "I am not going to die again," he repeats.

Raulf smiles. "No, you will not die again. I would not allow such a thing..." He shakes his head. "Did you not understand when I said that I want you to suffer?" His smile widens. Slowly, he says, "I want you to suffer for eternity, my friend."

_No,_ Kol thinks, stubbornly. _I am an Original. I am supposed to be stronger than anyone. _He smiles suddenly, the image of the man before him morphing into that of a lion's prey.

Kol is a_ lion_.

This mere warlock is just a gazelle.

However, this game must be played correctly, regardless, because the gazelle has the upper hand. Yes, the lion will win in the end but the game still must be played if he ever hopes to accomplish his mission. It is just a matter of time; _patience_.

"Well, there is one thing that we have in common, mate."

"What would that be?" Raulf asks, amused. "Surely the love of blood."

"That, too." He stands. "But there is one thing I love more...one thing you seem to love just as much..." His smile is small, inviting, mischievous. "I want revenge on a witch who is much more powerful than me...you want power and I can get it for you."

"Oh? Who would this witch be?"

"Bonnie Bennett."

Raulf laughs before freezing Kol in his position. He walks towards him, eyes shining brighter. "How would you propose helping me when I already have her in my grasp?" His laugh turns into a light chuckle as he studies the Original.

Kol tries to keep his face calm and unrevealing as to his true thought: _fear_. If this man could best Bonnie Bennett, of all people, what would he do to Kol? He forces himself not to swallow.

"No answer?"

Kol's spine arches backward until his head reaches his feet. He falls to the ground, unconscious.

Raulf steps over the body and out the door, keeping in mind that he should interrogate him later, torture the answer out of him if he must, as to how the man knows Bonnie. For now, he is in the mood for sharing a bed with one of Evios' lovers.

* * *

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

Rain drops slap Bonnie's face, puddles exploding beneath her feet.

"Stop_ running_!"

_"You can't outrun a vampire but when it comes to a human...witch...warlock, whatever it is...you better be able to run for you life. If there is a chance that you could die then you _run_."_

The words repeat over and over in Bonnie's head. _You run. You run_.

_If there is a chance that you could die then you run_.

_"You're not a god, Judgey. You can die just like the rest of us."_

Her chest rises and falls, breath staining the air. She pushes herself harder; _faster_, she must be faster than him.

_Bonnie scoffs. "I can kill him, Damon."_

_"Maybe." Damon shrugs, steering wheel sliding beneath his hands. "But if you can't then you run, understand?"_

_She lets her head raise from the window. Slowly, she looks at him. He meets her eyes._

_"If there is a chance that you could die then run."_

_"I heard you the first time," she mumbles, focusing on the window in front of her._

This is not Silas, Bonnie knows. Damon's advice, however, applies very much so in this situation.

Bonnie has no powers.

She is weak, human like in terms of strength. All she has against this man behind her is her speed; it is her only friend right now. She will befriend it with her heart and soul. She _will_ get away.

She feels finger tips slap against her back.

She makes an abrupt left.

Louis slips on the wet concrete and crashes to his side. He wastes no time in getting to his feet and resuming the chase.

"_Stop_!" he demands. "I don't want to hurt you!"

_Trees,_ she thinks, studying the forest that rests only about a mile away. _Just a mile. I can do this_.

A black fog surrounds her. She refuses to stop. If she just keeps running straight then she will make it. The forest is in front of her.

She can make it.

Screw sight.

The more she breathes in the slower she becomes. Her eyelids begin to flutter, wanting to drop. She holds her breath.

Arms wrap around her chest. Her legs fly up from the momentum.

"Let go of me!" she shouts.

Louis presses his forehead to her dark, wavy hair as the black fog begins to fly into her mouth. A soundless scream escapes her throat.

She becomes limp in his arms. The fog fades to non-existence.

Louis' heart begins to slow to its regular pace though his breath is still loud, heavy. He holds the witch's chin up with his hand, holding her body with his free arm. He breathes out loudly, blowing her wavy strands to the sides.

"I was just trying to protect you," he whispers, pressing his cheek against hers as her head falls back onto his shoulder. "You should not have run..."

He falls to his knees, cradling her body in his lap. Slowly, water begins to form in his eyes, mixing with the rain as it rolls down his face. His back bends as he leans down to her, surrounding her unmoving body in his arms. He turns his head to kiss her cheek. "I am sorry I had to do this," he whispers against her skin.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Marilyn Manson is basically my go to for songs for this story :P I love it. There will be some scenes back in Mystic Falls next chapter. I just wanted to focus on the Other Side for this one. Oh! And I'm beginning to sense something between two characters...some sexual scenario that should be coming up, maybe next chapter, maybe five from now. They may or may not have had a scene together already. What I can say is that it is going to be dark and...my lord O.O I'm imagining it already...Getting a little steamy in here.

Mrs. Anitra - Stefan is immune to nothing at this point ahaha. His hallucinations are going to drive him to a point beyond madness, itself. It's going to be so fun to write ehehe B) As well, with Katherine...it should be kept in mind that she has NO idea that Stefan is a doppelganger...she will be completely caught off guard when...IF...she finds out.

Guest - Damon and Silas are in Mystic Falls, Stefan is at the bottom of a lake. I didn't want to say "Katherine looked at someone who she thought was Stefan but little did she know...IT WAS SILAS!" :P So, I've just been hinting at it. As for Evios, now you know who he is ;) kind of. "Will Bonnie be resurrected by the gang or Louis?" Well...I have no idea what the answer to that will be. Even if I want something to happen in this story...if my characters don't MAKE it happen then it won't happen. You know what I mean? I let the characters take me wherever they want to. Basically, I just drop characters in a plot and see how they handle it...the ending is something I only vaguely know right now ahaha. So, in short, I have no idea if she will be resurrected or not.

I have a question for you readers! Recently, I've been wanting to write longer chapters but I'm not sure if you would be interested or not. Personally, I have a short attention span sooo I prefer shorter chapters that just get to the point. What do you readers think? Longer or is this fine the way it is?


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Remember, 1 minute on the Other Side = 1.5 hours in the real world. That means about a day and a half has passed since you have last seen the characters in Mystic Falls.

Song: Someone Like You - Adele (1st half), I Get Wicked - Thousand Foot Krutch (2nd half...when Kol's scene starts)

* * *

Louis stares into the sink, hands trembling as he holds onto the porcelain.

_I hurt her._ His eyes find his reflection. _I hurt her. _His face turns into one of disgust as he stares into his own blue-green eyes, repulsed by the man before him. His fist slams into the glass, pieces flying everywhere, one even slicing into his forearm.

He doesn't feel the pain.

The hurt in his brain is so much worse than anything that could be done to physically harm him.

Never mind him. How does _she_ feel? She was betrayed by her protector, a man who swore to never harm her.

His legs feel like noodles beneath him as he tries to remain on his feet.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers through deep, loud sobs, glancing over at Bonnie's motionless body. "Please...just wake up..." He falls to his knees, no longer able to stand, hands still shaking as they hold onto the sink. He rests the side of his head against the porcelain, unable to look away from her face.

She hasn't breathed since he filled her throat with smoke.

And he can't _stand_ it.

"Just open your eyes," he whispers, the hope in him starting to fade. "Say _something_...tell me to leave and I will go, I swear it."

He presses his hand against her chest, light skin becoming wet from the fabric. Slowly, he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath in. A faint green light appears beneath his hand. "_Please_." He presses down harder, the light becoming brighter as he does so. "Wake up...I'll do anything you say...if you just open your eyes...I will be yours to command...I will do _anything_." His words resemble the pleas of a man who knows that he has lost everything.

He wants to reverse time, let her get away, let her run far away from this place.

It is not safe for her here.

But...

It is safer for Evios if she remains.

And therein lies the greatest dilemma of his long life: Evios and the need within Louis to keep him safe, no matter what.

But he needs to keep _her_ safe, too.

He can't just let her _die,_ not by someone else's hands and definitely not by his own.

His heart rips down the middle as he tries to piece this girl back together, tries to fill her again with the light that became her soul, the determination that ran through her veins, beautiful as a galloping horse.

He can almost here it, the sound of hooves.

The light grows brighter.

Tears pour down his face as if Poseidon, himself, has descended upon him, cursing him for killing this girl.

"Please," he whispers again, voice cracking. "I love you...with everything I have...I love you more than _anything_," he says the last part almost in a shout, face scrunching in rage. His upper lip twitches when the fact enters his mind that he does indeed love her more than anything but not _anyone_.

Evios is on an equal footing with her, he knows.

The fact does nothing to heal his breaking heart, his shattered _soul_.

"Wake up," he repeats, louder this time. "_Wake up!_"

He opens his eyes just in time to see hers begin to move underneath her caramel-coloured lids.

The light glows at its brightest when a smile graces his lips.

He continues to cry but this time for a different reason; his tears are that of joy.

His soul is being pieced back together.

And he can't help but to take a deep, relieving breath in, knowing that she will be okay.

* * *

Elena watches Damon as his whole being turns to stone.

She doesn't like the sight of this, the man she loves being so closed off to her every effort. Sure, he accepts kisses. But he isn't in the mood for anything else, so he tells her when she tries to come on to him. And, for a moment, she sees disgust flash through his eyes.

"Baby Gilbert hasn't found anything yet," he says, more of a statement than a question.

She wants to find Bonnie as much as the next person but Jeremy just needs _time_. He will find her, she knows he will. It's not her fault that Damon can't see that. They have to _live._ They are doing all they can to find her.

She has felt too much pain for too long.

She can't afford to feel it again. No, if she lets herself miss Bonnie then she will go mad. She will go just as mad as she did when Jeremy died. And that can't happen.

Doesn't Damon see that?

Her brother, her friends, they need to see her keep moving. They need to see her smile.

Everyone has done so much for her. They have done so much to please her, to make her _her_ again. And he wants her to repay them by sobbing and being sad again? He wants her to stop everything and remember Bonnie, remember the best friend she could _never_ forget, not even if she lived a thousand more years.

She finds herself getting downright _pissed off_ as he blows her off, treats her as if she despicable for having so much faith in Jeremy's abilities.

"We're doing the best we can, Damon."

He scoffs. "You know what's sad?" He points to the door, motioning to what's on the other side of it, down the stairs, sitting in his living room. "That you actually believe that _he_ can do _anything_." He almost spits his next words out at her, veins in his neck becoming prominent. "He's useless, Elena! He couldn't jack off without help!"

Elena's face fills with an equal amount of fury. "What do you want me to do, Damon? Do you want me to fall down? Cry so you know that I feel sad? Break down and be useless to all of you?"

He shakes his head, sighing loudly, frustrated with his girlfriend. "You know what, Elena? I don't want _you_ to do anything." He turns around, heading towards his bathroom.

Taking a shower is the only way he can escape her right now.

Not that she would actually allow that to happen.

"Damon, don't walk away from me!" She speeds over to his retreating figure and grabs him by the shoulder.

He spins around to face her, stepping into her personal space, eyes wild. "Get away from me, Elena," he demands, ice particles practically exploding from his mouth.

Elena doesn't back down. "No, Damon. You're not running away from this. You are going to stand here and you are going to listen to me!"

"I'm not going to _do_ anything," he says, slowly, voice filled with venom. "Just because we fucked doesn't mean you can drag me wherever you want, Elena."

She folds her arms across her chest. "Are you hearing yourself right now, Damon? Do you actually_ hear_ what you're saying?"

He drops his arms to his side in defeat at her big, brown eyes. "You know what, Elena?" He shakes his head slowly. "I don't really care."

This time she doesn't stop him.

_Slam!_

Her nerves jump at the strength of the sound. She looks at the closed door with sad eyes, rage no longer visible.

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

A weird feeling comes to her then, something foreign, something she hasn't felt in months. For a moment, she can't place it. Instinctively, she reaches for a necklace that isn't there. She looks down at her collarbone, realizing what is missing or, rather,_ who_ she misses.

She sighs.

Her and Damon fight all the time. Why should this be any different?

_Because Stefan would never look down on her like that. He considers her an equal. Meanwhile, Damon..._

She forces herself to leave the room.

Damon sighs in relief on the other side of the door. He falls to his butt, one hand resting on his knee, the other gripping his dark strands. Elena has pissed him off before. She has filled him with rage of the highest kind.

Yet, he must admit, there was something different about this fight, something stronger, more_ hateful_.

He doesn't hate her, he knows that. But in this moment he feels like he truly does with every single fibre of his being.

He growls, slamming his fist into the floor.

Elena glances back at his room, concerned with how angry he is.

Damon in a bad mood is good for no one.

She goes back to his room just as his door flings open and he speeds past her. She tries to follow him down the stairs, attempting to catch him. By the time she reaches the bottom Damon and Jeremy are nowhere to be seen.

Her heart almost stops.

* * *

Katherine's vision blurs as she stares up at the clear, blue sky. "Stefan?" she mumbles, voice raspy. "Stefan...where..." She rolls to her stomach, trying to push herself up.

The effort alone is too much.

She presses her hand against her forehead, trying to gather her thoughts.

_"You would do anything for me, wouldn't you?"_

_She almost laughs at the stupidity of the question._

_"Do not deny, Katherine...you love Stefan very much."_

Katherine feels the strength of her heart increasing. She looks around.

_"I think you're confusing me with Elena." She smiles, cheeky. "You don't have to call yourself Stefan. I know who you are."_

She glances behind her and sees the edge of a cliff. Her eyes widen.

_Slowly, the immortal moves his mouth to her ear, hands running up and down her thighs. "I know love when I see it. You love Stefan," he says, ignoring her words about speaking in third person; though, she is far from correct about who this man really is. "I can see it in your eyes." She inhales loudly as kisses her neck. "But would you go so far as to die for him?" he asks, looking into her eyes._

_She frowns, head tilting to the side._

_"If Stefan was dying...what would you do to save him?"_

Katherine growls, fingers pressing into the dirt. She forces herself to go to her feet. "You were supposed to be dead," she says, angry at the figure who resembles Stefan. He smiles at her and motions towards the lake.

"Stefan has done a lot for you, Katherine. When I told you that I loved you the words were coming from his mouth, not mine." He takes a step toward her, spreading his arms out slightly, fingers stretching until they are straight. "I know more about any of you people than you do, yourselves."

"Then you know that I don't believe you."

He nods. "I do." A smirk graces his lips then, making his face very unlike Stefan's. "Regretfully, you seem to love survival as much as you love him...And...I cannot make you do anything you wish not to do..." He folds his hands together, head tilting to the side as if amused by a joke that only he is in on. "So...the choice is all yours, Katherine." He opens his arms wide. "Do you save Stefan?" He points at her, elbow bent lazily. "Or do you walk away from all of this, still human? Still alone like me?"

She swallows, glancing back at the lake. All concern and doubt disappears when she meets his eyes again. "He's a vampire. He can't die." She shakes her head. "_I_ can." Folding her arms across her chest, she continues, "He kept me locked in a tomb for_ days_. I'm sure he can handle a little water."

Silas watches her, calm and unfazed. "Your heart betrays you." He shrugs. "No matter..." He turns around. "Enjoy the wilderness, Katherine."

He is gone.

* * *

The brightness of the setting sun lights up chin-length black hair. Theron rests his hand against his shoulder, the back of his gun pressing against his jacket as he does so. He sees a girl swim out into a lake, swim under, come back up, and go under again. The shadows of the trees protect him from being seen, though, if she _did_ glance back she may see a faint red glow.

That can't be helped.

He watches, patiently waiting for her to find whatever it is that she is looking for.

It is only when she stays down for longer than thirty seconds that he moves, taking a single step forward, free hand pressing against rough bark.

She returns to the surface and takes a deep breath in before going back down. She repeats the act several times before groaning loudly, a sound that doesn't quite reach Theron's ears. This time, she inhales for a longer period of time.

Again she is under.

Theron's thumb rubs against the handle of his gun as he waits, silent as a predator.

* * *

Katherine's hands twist around the metal handle of the container. She pulls with all of her strength. It moves just an inch.

She forces herself not to inhale the water as she pulls again.

It doesn't budge.

She almost wants to curse.

_I can't do this all night, Stefan. Not for you, not for anyone_.

She inhales the remaining air in her closed mouth, gripping the slippery metal tightly.

She pulls upward, trying to see if it will open.

It doesn't.

She swims back to the surface, inhaling loudly when air surrounds her. For a moment she wonders if she actually has the ability to go back down and try again. Then something in the corner of her vision catches her eyes. She turns, seeing something red. A dark, shadowy figure moves in the trees.

_Stefan. She needs Stefan_.

She goes under, swimming fast.

_Stefan._

_Stefan._

* * *

Kol wakes up with the taste of blood in his mouth, something that would normally please him if it wasn't his own.

He spits the crimson out onto the stained floor.

_Has the concrete always been this red?_

He rolls onto his back in defeat, disappointed with no one but himself.

Is he so pathetic that he can win against no one?

_Fucking pathetic_.

He dared to look down on all the people in Mystic Falls. And what happens? Only he and the witch die. And they were the most powerful people there if you could forget about Silas, Niklaus and Rebekah.

How pathetic is that?

He was killed by people not even half his age. And now, here he is, having just got tossed around like a useless ragdoll by some warlock with a superiority complex. Oh, Niklaus would be laughing by now if he could only see him. He would laugh at his brother's incompetence. Rebekah would laugh, too, he is sure of it; though, instead of being alone Matt, of course, would be stuck against her side laughing as well.

And Elijah...

Well, he would just shake his head.

His family is just as pathetic as him.

Their balls - and Rebekah's boobs, though sometimes he doubts that she doesn't have a pair down there - are wrapped in Elena Gilbert and her friend's hands. Whenever they squeeze the Originals obey. If they don't obey? They end up like Finn and Kol.

It's _disgusting_.

They are Originals, meant to be the strongest things walking the planet, besides Silas. But Silas wasn't the one to destroy them.

It just doesn't make _sense_.

His mind can't comprehend the consistent failures he makes, the constant _incompetence._

More than anything, he is disappointed in himself. He can hate the Gilberts and the witch all he wants but at the end of the day it is he, Kol Mikaelson, that pisses him off the most.

It is a weird thing to hate yourself, a completely foreign feeling for Kol especially, considering he has done nothing but love himself for over a thousand years. So, admittedly, he feels strange when he realizes how much anger he has for himself. It is a revelation that makes him physically sick.

Or is it that?

For whatever reason, he begins to convulse, gagging on his own spit. His eyes widen at the sudden need to throw up.

Slowly, with a lot of effort on his part, he climbs to his feet.

Instantly, he is against the wall, hand clutching the bare skin of his stomach. His back arches forward as a semi-hardened, though still mushy, chunk of blood flies out of his mouth and onto the ground. It is accompanied by a fresher, fluid-like crimson.

He falls to his hands and knees, spitting while simultaneously choking. Losing all strength in his body, he falls to the ground, face slamming against the concrete as blood splatters from the impact.

He drowns in a pool of his own blood.

* * *

Raulf's dark eyes study the scene before him, the wheels in his brain beginning to spin. Louis is embracing Bonnie, unwilling to let go as she struggles.

"Let _go_ of me!" she shouts, hands shoving at his chest.

"I missed you so much...I thought you were dead..."

Raulf would laugh if he found it at all comical. But knowing that his witch was almost permanently dead bothers him. His fingers twitch, restless.

"I promise to never hurt you again," Louis swears, blue-green eyes sparkling with liquid.

"Just let _go_." She slaps his back hard. "_Let go_!" Out of the corner of her eye she sees Raulf as he watches them with a face that displays a palpable rage. Her arms go limp.

Louis glances at the spot where Bonnie's eyes linger. He stands immediately, blocking her body with his. "I will not let you harm her again, Raulf. Leave."

Raulf's frown deepens. "You are in no position to threaten me." He takes a step forward, tongue wetting his cracked lips as his eyes meet Bonnie's. "I will return your powers, Bonnie...little by little." Her eyes narrow in suspicion. "You want to feel the magic running through your veins again." He continues walking, slowly, as if approaching a deer, trying not to scare it. "You want to be able to protect yourself from someone like him...You want to feel in control." He smiles, bending down so that they are eye level. "I can give it to you, Bonnie. All you have to do-"

"Do not listen to him," Louis warns. Bonnie's eyes remain focussed on Raulf. _He is getting to her..._

"Tell Louis to leave and he will obey."

Louis' eyes widen as he looks at Raulf. No, he can't leave. He can't leave Bonnie alone with him. It wouldn't be safe.

_No, no, no_. "Bonnie, do not listen to his words...he is a liar."

Bonnie looks at Louis, suspicious as to why he looks so nervous. Maybe Raulf is right? She swallows, hoping that it would be so easy to get rid of him. She told him to leave before. Why would he now?

Still.

Are two psychos really better than one?

If she could rid herself of at least one, would she?

Does she want to risk being alone with the man who took her powers away?

She is almost uncertain until Louis tries to grab her. "Leave!" she shouts, not thinking twice. He hesitates, taking a step back. Then he looks at Raulf, eyes narrowing in anger.

The feeling of a force pulling him begins. "You turned her against me!"

"You did it yourself, my friend...I suppose it is difficult for you to leave since you consider me a threat." He smiles. "Need an extra push?"

Louis shakes his head, knowing what comes next. "No, do not-"

"Evios is in need of your help," Raulf says. "He is laying on his floor, covered in blood. One of his lovers attacked him."

Louis knows it is a lie, without a doubt. But that is the rational part of his brain.

The rational part never wins, not since the day he devoted his life to Evios.

The need to leave strengthens.

Evios needs him and she does not, she implied as such by telling him to leave.

His eyes are wild as he begins to back away from them. Slowly, they become nothing in his vision as he turns to the door and begins to walk. Once he checks on Evios he can return.

He just needs to make sure Evios is okay.

Raulf's smile slowly fades as he continues to stare into Bonnie's green eyes. "As I said before I was interrupted...I need something from you before I can give you back anything."

She frowns.

"I need you to come with me."

* * *

"Common, Baby Gilbert, we don't have all day. Do your...ghost thingy."

"I'm trying. I can't help it if they don't want to come." Jeremy glances back at Damon just in time to see the strange restlessness of his body. He paces back and forth, all the while glaring at the younger Gilbert. "I just need time to convince them to help us..."

Damon has no time for bullshit.

He looks around the room, standing tall, menacing. "You _witches_, all high and mighty yet so damn useless. Let's be honest," he says, folding his arms across his chest. "We all know you're powerless now that you're dead. You can't even manifest to this dickhead over here." He shakes his head, frowning. "_Pathetic_."

"Dickhead?"

Damon slaps the back of Jeremy's head then continues speaking. "You want to know what I think? I think that there's a magical stick stuck so far up your asses that-"

He falls to his knees, the veins in his head bursting open. Yet, he smiles, victorious. The witch notices and strengthen the pain. He growls and looks over at Jeremy. "Hurry _up,_ Gilbert."

Jeremy glances at the dark witch who stands above Damon. "What he meant to say was that we need your help..." Slowly, she looks over at him, eyes cold. "Our friend Bonnie-"

The witch raises her hand, silencing Jeremy with just her will. "We will speak." She glances back at Damon. "As soon as_ he_ leaves this house."

"She wants you to leave," Jeremy says, reciting the message to Damon.

The vampire growls. "Much easier said than done." As soon as the words are spoken the spell is dropped. He sighs in relief, eyes widening and closing again, face scrunching. "Well, that was unpleasant," he says. "I'm just..." He smiles. "I'm gonna go now." He leaves.

The witch changes her focus to Jeremy, eyes still blank, emotionless. "You are trying to save Bonnie," she says. "Why?"

Jeremy frowns. "She's your _family_. You should understand why we'd want her back."

She scoffs. "That girl is no blood of mine. Not anymore."

"You can't just turn your back on her!"

Her eyes narrow. "She turned her back on us, _boy_. An eye for an eye."

"Makes the whole world blind," Jeremy finishes. The witch's frown deepens, though a glint of something other than anger flashes through her eyes. "Just..." He takes a step toward her. "Please...help me. I love her...she sacrificed her life for me..."

Her tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth as she studies this boy.

Jeremy takes the opportunity to continue. "All I need to know is how I can get to her...how I can save her."

She looks him up and down before smiling, pleased with what she is about to say. "You cannot save the girl, human. You would go straight to _The Creator_."

The word piques his interest. "Is that where Bonnie is? With _The Creator_?"

After taking a moment to debate her answer she speaks. "_The Creator_ would make it known if he had her in his possession. If it was so...the balance would change in favour of him and Qetsiyah would fall."

"But Qetsiyah created the Other Side...how could someone-"

"Do you not understand, boy?" she questions, frowning. "The Other Side is a product of _creation_." She shakes her head. "_The Creator_ was given his name for a reason."

Jeremy swallows.

"There was only one person who could match Qetsiyah's power; that was_ The Protector_. _The Creator_ changed the balance. Now, he matches her in every sense of the word. He will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. And your friend, Bonnie, is his only chance at achieving his dream, his true mission."

Jeremy folds his arms across his chest, not prepared to hear the answer she will give to the question he is about to ask. "What does he want?"

The witch's face becomes cold again, detached. She pauses, not sure as to why she continues to waste her breath on this kid.

There is nothing anyone can do to stop _The Creator_ once he has begun.

Yet, she chooses to speak for the lone reason that she still has remnants of hope. A part of her still believes that he can be stopped.

A stronger part of her knows that it would be impossible.

"The one thing he wants..." She shakes her head. "Eternal suffering."

* * *

Theron's hand twitches on the trigger when he sees the girl surface with a man in her arms. He lowers his hand and glances at the sudden brightness of the red on his skin. Quickly, he looks back up at the two people, who are now swimming to land. He recognizes the man's face.

_Silas._

Without even thinking about it he is heading towards them, gun raising in their direction.

He sees the girl look nervously at Theron and back at the man beside her. She starts to speak at a rapid pace, as if trying to warn of impending death.

Does she not realize that there is nothing she can do?

He pulls the trigger. It hits her friend right between the eyes.

He aims the gun at the wide-eyed girl. Like the other one, it hits her between the eyes.

She goes limp immediately, disappearing underneath the water.

Theron's legs move quick as a zombie-like version of the girl's friend keeps swimming. He is on land for only a second before Theron grabs him by the shirt and throws him to the ground, a bullet instantly flying into his chest, straight into his heart.

The man twitches, gasping as his skin turns grey.

Theron's eyes narrow.

_This is not how he is supposed to look_. _This is how a vampire would die...a true immortal cannot..._

He growls and looks at his still glowing hand, though its colour is less vibrant.

Silas knew he was coming, he realizes. And he has played right into his hands.

Now, three of the Eight have died.

He steps down hard on _The Replica_'s face, smashing his skull until it is just mush.

Silas will turn to stone. It is Theron's job to make sure of it.

And he will _not_ fail.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Poor, poor Stefan. Gets rescued only to be killed a minute later. I hope I answered some of your questions...while also giving you more questions ahaha ;P I made this chapter a little longer originally...almost six-thousand words, I think. But it ruined the feng shui of everything. A lot happened in this chapter...I didn't want to overpower you readers with information soooo next chapter will probably be a little longer, though not extensively...that I know of...

Pepprie: A young Brad Pitt could do...Much hotter than Tom Felton LOL :P Tom is the one I picture as Louis

boomkarakaraka05: (nice name btw. It made me laugh a little) Bonnie is not one of Evios' past lovers. She is not a reincarnation, just simply Bonnie Bennett. I think I answered almost every other question you asked in this chapter, if I'm not mistaken. By all means, correct me if I'm wrong :) As for my OCs...I'd say Louis = Tom Felton, Raulf = Jared Padalecki, Evios = a dark-haired Evan Peters, Theron = Marilyn Manson (as the way he appears in his music video _Born Evil_) Why Marilyn Manson? Because I can :D

mrs. anitra: Hmmmm will Bamon have a scene? Now, now...I wouldn't want to give anything away...Let's just say that they _might_ have a scene. What I can say is that there_ may _be quite a few Kennett scenes...Unless Kol stays dead...LOL. We'll just have to wait and see ;)


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